Animal-shackle.



No. 661,637. Patented Nov. l3, I900.

S. E. FARRELL.

ANIMAL SHACKLE (Application filed Aug. 16, 1899. Renewed Aug. 27, 1900.]

(No Model.)

UN TED STATES P TENT OFFIC SYDNEY E. FARRELLQF OTTUMWA, IOWA.

ANlMAL-SHACKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,637, dated November13, 1900.

Application filed August 15, 1899. Renewed August 27, 1900. Serial No.28,244. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SYDNEY E. FARRELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ottumwa, in the county of Wapello and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal-Shackles; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in shacklesfor use in butchering animals and in devices connected with saidshackles to automatically release the animal when desired.

It has for its object to provide a shackle which after being set may beinstantly and automatically clasped around the leg of an animal andautomatically released therefrom; and with this end in View my inventionconsists in the construction and arrangement hereinafter more fully setforth;

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertainsmay know how to make and use my improved shackle, I will proceed todescribe its construction and operation, referring by letters to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents in section theupper and lower tracks usually employed in butchering establishments,with a pair of my improved shackles sustaining an animal and so arrangedrelatively to the tracks that the weight of the animal shall operate torelease the shackles. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on an enlargedscale,of one of my improved shackles. Fig. 3 is a side elevation atright angles to that shown at Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a longitudinalsection on the line w 00 of Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference denote like parts in the'several figures ofthe drawings.

A rep resents the case or handle of the shackle, which is made in twosimilar parts adapted to be secured together by bolts or rivets B. Eachhalf of the case is cored out longitudinally to receive a reciprocatingbar 0, the lower end of which is enlarged and bifurcated, as shownclearly at Fig. 4, the

other portion being reduced to receive an operating coil-spring D and toprovide an annular shoulder a, against which said spring bears. Thelongitudinal recess in each half of the case is reduced near the upperend to constitute a shoulder b, against which the upper end of thespring D hears. The upper end of the bar 0 is threaded to receive awasher E and nut F; but the threads are not shown, as the nut and washerare shown in elevation, and it will be obvious to one skilled in readingthe drawings how a nut and washer are secured in place by ascrew-thread, between which and the end of the handle is secured aswivel G, and whereby the rod is secured within the case.

H H are twin jaws formed with longitudinal slots I and secured betweenthe two parts 'A of the handle by the pivot bolts or rivets B. Thesejaws are crossed within the bifurcated end of the bar Q, as shown inFig. 2, and secured in position by a pivot-bolt J, passing through thesaid bar and thelongitudinal slots I of the jaws, as clearly shown inFigs. 2, 3, and 4. One portion of the case is formed with a handhold Kand is provided with a spring pawl or latch L, one end of which isadapted to enter into a notch or recessc in the bar 0 to lock the sameand hold the jaws H H in open. position in an obvious manner.

M is a lug to which is pivoted a link or curved arm N, adapted to behooked or connected to a spreader or brace 0, adapted to sustain twoshackles in the position shown at Fig. 1 and to sustain the weight ofthe animal when elevated. This spreader O is connected centrally byachain P or otherwise to a traveling trolley or track-hook Q.

The swivels G are connected by a short chain R, as clearly shown at Fig.l.

Q is the upper track or rail, and Q is th lower track or rail.

The shackles, spreader, and trolley or book hear such proportionalrelationsto one another that when the trolley or hook is upon the uppertrack Q the counectingchain R will be in a plane above the lower trackor rail Q as shown. The jaws H H being opened and locked in suchposition by the pawl or dog L, the leg of the animal is antomaticallygrasped by releasing the pawl or dog in an obvious manner, and when bothlegs have been thus grasped the animal is raised or elevated by liftingthe spreader O and placing the trolley or hook Q on the upper track orrail. When the trolley or book and the shackles have reached the end ofthe upper rail and fall vertically therefrom, the connecting-chain Rcomes in contact with the upper surface of the lower rail or track andthe weight of the animal held by the jaws of the shackle pulls thehandle or case A downwardly on the bar 0 until the latch or dog Lcatches in the notch thereof and locks it in position, with the spring Dcompressed between the shoulders at Z) and in condition to retract thehandle or case when the pawl Lis withdrawn from the notch in thereciprocating bar. The jaws being connected to the case A and bar 0 bythe pivot bolts or rivets B B and J, respectively, passing through theslots, as described, the downward movement of the case A, with thepivotbolts B traveling through the slots in the upper portion of thejaws, spreads the same in an obvious manner, as the pivot J, passingthrough the lower end of the bar 0 and at the lower extremity of eachslot of the jaws H, prevents the latter from moving u pwardly.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A shackle-hook composed of a case or handle A, a reciprocating bar 0bifurcated at the lower end and secured within the case or handle, anactuating-spring between the bar and case, and jaws H H slottedlongitudinally and pivoted through said slots to the case, and withinthe bifurcated end of the reciprocating bar, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

2. The double shackle composed of the cases A, reciprocating bars 0,provided with lateral projections M N; actuating-springs D, jaws H, H,the swivels or rings G, connecting-chain R, and spring-latches L,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In combination with two shackles composed of cases A, reciprocatingbars 0, provided with lateral projections M N, actuating-springs D, jawsH, H, and swivels or rings G; the chain R, connecting the two rings G,the spreader 0, provided with a suspensionhook, and connected with thelateral projections M N, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SYDNEY E. FARRELL.

Witnesses:

F. G. ORELUP, W. D. STRONG.

